I need opinions on prenatal classes:
The hospital where I'm delivering has a 3-series class of 1 hour classes. It's free. Each class covers one of the following: intro to breastfeeding and infant feeding, labor and delivery, and post-partum and newborn care. It's 5 minutes away from my house, but it's in the middle of the day on Thursday.
There's a preschool center nearby, which is charging $195 for labor and delivery classes. HOWEVER, these are either a 1 day weekend seminar for 7 hours, or four 1.5 hr classes. It doesn't cover feeding or newborn care - those are other classes, so it's obviously REALLY detailed about the birth process, hospital procedures, medications, etc.
The local Y has Lamaze classes - $110 for 4 3-hour-long sessions. They also offer newborn care classes and breastfeeding, so I'm assuming those topics are not covered.
I'm just not that sure the extra cost is worth the more detailed instruction. On one hand, I want to be as prepared as possible, the baby's dad (who supposedly is coming to these) actually asked me "what's a midwife?" yesterday
, and I'm REALLY nervous about the birth and being pressured into tests or being hooked up to stuff and not having it go the way I want, I'm still unsure if I want an epidural etc. But I also already know about all my different pain management options, etc...so I don't know if I should pay for more classes.
(Also, if I go to the ones without the newborn care/breastfeeding, I can still go to those classes free at the hospital).
ETA: And how do I tell family members who have just ASSUMED they are going to be welcome in the delivery room that they are very, very, mistaken?